Aviator&#39;s camera



W. F. FOLMER.

AVIATORS CAMERA.

APPLICATION man MAR. a. 1919.

Patented Dec. 1? 1921.

6 SHEETS-SHEET I.

IINVENTOR Willa/M /./(2////e/' 1,400,277. &L;/Z6

BY M94 m v /zls ATTORNEYS Ii 629165566 w W. F. FOLMER.

AVIATOR'S CAMERA. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3, 1919.

1,400,277, Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2- if Fig. 4

'IIIIHIHHH .lIHHHHHH INVENTOR Hi'ZZz'azmWlmer 66 W @QQ W. F. FOLMER.

AVIATOR'S CAMERA. APPLICATION man MAR. 3, 1919.

1,400,277, Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3. I 17 w. 5

fidsATToRwsYs W. F. FULMER.

AVIATORS CAMERA. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3.1919.

L 2. 94 l E 3 l w mm 5 D d .mw m a P 42's ATTORNEYS W. F. FULMER.

AVIATOR'S CAMERA.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3. 1919.

Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

6 SHEETS$HEET 5- /I'. 5 2.52.4 g5 qfj/ W. F. FOLMER.

AVIATORS CAMERA.

APPLICATION EILED MAR-3,1919.

1,400,277. Patented Dec.13, 1921.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

IIIIIIIUIIIIVIIIIIIIIA umm.- I V INVENTO a'sArToRwEYs UNITE-D STATESPATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAMT. FOLMER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO EASTMAN KODAKCOMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AVIATOR/S CAMERA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

To all whom it may conqem:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. FOLMER, of Rochester, in the county ofMonroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Aviators Cameras; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, .forming a part of this specification,and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to photography and more particularly tophotographic cameras and it has for its object to provide, a strong andserviceable camera par.- ticularly adapted for aerial photography, theimprovements being directed in part tO- ward promoting the ease andrapidity with which the sensitive material may be shifted and exposedand toward provisions whereby the peculiar conditions under which theinstrument is used willnot influence the operator to the end that he maymake mistakes in the sequence of his operations and in the repetition ofoperations and adjustments. To these and other ends the inventionresides in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will behereinafter more fully described the novel features being pointed out inthe claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view, partly broken away, of .a photographic cameraconstructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a top view:

Fig. 3 is an enlarged central vertical section through the rear portionof the camera and the magazine; I

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the safety dark slide of the magazine;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the camera with Y in the rear of an exposureopening 2 (Fig 3) at the back of the camera body. Brackets the backplate of the magazine removed; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of the leftside of the camera and magazine;

Fig. 7 is a rear view of the camera body with the magazineremoved Fig.8is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of Fig. 7, with certainparts in section, on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a side view of the magazine detached;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary side view of the rear end of the camera bodywith the mega .zine detached;

Fig. 11 is a front view of the magazine detached;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the magazineshowing the housing thereon in section;

Fig. l3'is a similar view, but with parts removed to show underlyingmechanism;

Fig. 14 is a section on the line 1414 of Fig. 12;

Fig. .15 is a front view of the magazine detached, but with the plateshifting device removed;

Fig. 16 is a rear view of such plate shiftin" device;

17 is a section on the line 1717 of 1g. 9

Fig. 18 is an enlarged fragmentary section through a corner of theexposure chamber of themagazine taken substantially on the line 1818 of3;

Fig. 19 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the rearward portion of thecamera body showing a casing on the well thereof in vertical section;

Fig. 20 is an enlargedfragmentary view of the opposite. side of theshutter gearing shown in Fig. 6;

. Fig. 21 is a fragmentary sectional view of the shutter gearing takensubstantially on the line 2121 of Fig. 20, and

Fig. 22 is a detail section taken substantially on the line 22-22 ofFig. 20. Similar reference numerals throughout the several viewsindicate the same parts.

Referring principally toFigs. 1 and 2,

I will first give a general idea of the design, major parts andprincipal functions of the apparatus before describ ng in detall anyparticular group of mechanlsm.

In the embodiment shown, the camera comprises an elongated body l for along focus lens (not shown) located at the front thereof that casts theimage in a focal plane above his line of vision, which latter is takenthrough a particular form of finder or s1ght-' ing device 5. Theinclination of the grips 4. makes this posit on a natural and comvenient one for the hands. The camera is fitted with a roller blind orcurtain shutter housed within an enlargement 6 at the rear end of thebody 1, which shutter is tripped to make an exposure by an operatinglever 7 pivoted at 8 and held in the normal position of Fig. 1 by asprings). The lever is so arranged adjacent to e handle '4 that anoffset 10 at its upper end can be conveniently engaged by the thumb ofthe operator and moved by a squeezing pressure of the hand in which thefingers that are meantime supporting the camera, react against the grip4 and prevent a jerky action that might otherwise destroy the aim. Alink 11 is shown to connect the operating lever 7 with a crank 12 at thefront of the camera. This crank actuates another flap shutter (notshown) that normally protects the lens, but this subject-matter hasnothing to do with the present invention.

A detachable magazine 13 at the rear of the camera body constitutes theholder for the sensitized material which, in the present instance,consists of plates that are shifted from a storage chamber to a lowerexposure chamber by means of a crank 14 on the exterior of the magazine.After an exposure has been made, a throw of this crank feeds a freshplate into position for exposure and also winds the curtain shutter.provided which prevents the crank from being operated when the magazineor holder 13 is removed from the camera body. Provision is also made forautomatically locking the shutter mechanism to again receive the gearinof the crank when the magazine is remove and the same devices under thecontrol of the shutter mechanism, prevent the magazine from beingremoved until the crank 14 is in such position as to prevent the foggingof the foremost plate, all as will be hereinafter described.

I will first describe the magazine for holding and feeding the plates.It comprises a frame 13 having a light-tight cover plate or rear wall 15and divided'by a horizontal partition memberlG into an upper storagechamber 17 and a lower exposing chamber 18 for the septums 19 containingplates or cut films, as desired. They will be herein referred to asplates. A follower 20 of the form best shown in Figs. 3 and 15 rocksupon fastening pins'21 securedto the back wall 15 in the region of thepartition 16, so that one arm or branch of the follower presses agalnstthe rear of the plates in the storage chamber and the other arm againstthose in the exposure chamber 18. In this way, the pressure is equalizedand made uniform as the plates that are removed from one chamber andrelieve the tension on one arm serve to build up the pile of plates in Adevice is pile of plates is pressed forwardly against flanges 22 (Figs.15 and 18) on the lateral front edges of the frame 13 (see Figs. 15 and18).

The plate shifting slide 23, best shown in Fig. 16, slides upon theforward surfaces ofthese flange plates 22 and between them and ribs 24(Fig. 18) on a frame 25 secured to the sides of frame 13 by screws 26.An opening 27 in the lower'part of this frame 25 constitutes theexposure opening of the magazine or holder (see also Fig. 11) whichopening, when the holder is in cooperation with the camera body,coincides with the exposure opening 2 of the. latter. An addi-. tionalframe 28 surrounding the exposure opening 27 abuts against the rear ofthe camera and the contacting surface of the latter is preferablycomposed of or covered by a piled fabric 29 (Flg. 7) which makes thejoint light-tight. The plate shifting slide 23 when in the position ofFig. 3, serves to close the exposure chamber 18 and protect its contentsfrom the entrance of light.

ticularly the foremost one, from going back with it. The shifter 23 hasthe usual cams 33 at its lower edge for raising the exposed plates topermit the introduction of an unexposed one as the slide or shifter isbrought downward and it alsohas the usual hooks or lugs 34 for engaginthe top edge of the plate. to be transferred. Those skilled in the artwellknow the general mode of shifting plates in this way.

The magazine or holder 13 is held in engagement with the camerabaok by ahook shaped flange 35 at the bottom of the latter (Fig. 3) that isengaged by a projecting portion 36 of the frame 28 and also at the topby a locking bolt 37 (Figs. 3 and 2) that is movable transversely on thetop surface of the camera body by means of a finger piece 38, the boltbeing slotted to receive guide pins 39. Two ears 40 extend upcwardlyfrom the rear edge of the bolt and are adapted to interlock withdownwardly turned ears 41 on the frame 25 of the magazine 13 (see alsoFig. 11). Certain restrictions imposed upon the actuation of the bolt 37will be later described. The. magazine also fits between flanges 42(Fig. 7) at the sides ofthe back of the camera so that it is inset withreference to the latter.

The mechanism for operating the plate shifting slide 23 includes theoperating crank 14, earlier referred to, and a shaft 43 to which it isattached and which extends thro gh the Pa tition 16 of the magazine-Near each end there is fixed to the said shaft 43 a large pinion 44arranged close against the adjacent side wall of the magazine frame 13and these pinions mesh with racks 45 (Fig. 16) arranged on each lateraledge of the shifter slide 23. When the crank 14 is in the normalposition of Fig. l, the slide 23 is in its uppermost posit1on oppositethe storage chamber 17 of the magazine and when the crank is turned tothe right through nearly a complete revolution, to the position shown inFig. 9, the slide is, through the gearing. brought down with the newplate to be exposed and which it extracts from the storage chamber.There is also carried on the shaft 43 a thin indicator disk 46 (Figs. 12and 14)-interlocked with one of the pinions 44 by pins 47. 'Suchindicator disk lies within a housing consisting of a bearing plate 48secured to the exteriorof the magazine .and in which the shaft 43 issupported and an overlying cover plate 49. The latter has an opening 50therein and when the crank 14 is in the position of Fig. 1, with theshifter slide 23 elevated, as described, an

inscription 51 on the disk 46 indicates thatthe exposure opening 27 ofthe magazine is open, while the position of the crank shown in Fig. 9brings another inscription 52 opposite the opening 50 to show that thesaid exposure opening is shut, being sealed by the shifter slide 23 theninits lowered position of Fig. 3.

As each plate is brought down to exposing position, it is counted andits number .indicated by a counter wheel 53, (Fig. 14),

the characters 54 on which are successively' brought into register withan opening 55 in the cover plate 49. r The counter is given an impulseupon each actuation of the plate shifter by a spring pawl 56 carried, inthe present instance, on the hub 57 of the indicator disk 46, thecounter being in the form of a ratchet. Another pawl 58 cotiperates withit to prevent retrograde movement.

As before mentioned and later explained, the magazine 13 cannot beremoved from the camera back unless -the plate shifting slide 23 is inthe lowered position of Fig. 3 in which it seals the exposure chamber18. Once removed, the crank 14 cannot be operated or the slide withdrawnfrom such protecting position because of an automatic latch or lockingdevice best shown in Fig. 13. This consists of a lever 59 pivoted at 60upon and beneath the bearing plate seat 48 and havinga toothed extremitynormally engaged with the teeth of one of the slide operating pinions 44under the influence of a spring 61, as shown in Fig. 12. This is itscondition when the magazine or holder 13 is detached and it prevents therotation of the shaft 43 in.

both directions. When, however, the ma zine is applied to the cameraback, this look is automatically released by reason of an arm 62 of thelever engaging and being displaced'by a lug 63 on the back of the.camera, which action throws the lever out, of gear with the pinion andleaves the crank 14 free to be rotated.

' The roller blind shutter is shown in section of the usual constructionat the bottom.

The shaft 69 of the winding roll terminates in a inion 70 (Fig. 19) thatmeshes with a gear 1 turning on a stud 72. The latter is turned by awmding key 73 on the exterior of a casing 74 that incloses the mechanismbeing described and when so turned in the direction of the arrow in Fig.1, the gear winds the spring 75 of the winding roller and increases thetension for more rapid exposures. As such winding progresses, characters76 on the gear 71 are successively exposed through an opening 77 in thecasing 74 to indicate the tension. Retrograde movement is prevented byan escapement pawl 78 pivoted at 79 to the casing engaging a ratchet 8Opinned to the gear 71 at 81 and the pawl is held in such engagement by aspring 82. To reduce the spring tension and reverse the function of thewinding key 73, the escapement pawl 78 is vibrated by means of afinger-piece v82 on the exterior of the casing, whereupon anotherengaging tooth 83 of the pawl alternates with the first and permitsintermittent retrograde motion inthe usual manner.

The feed roll 67 turns 011 journals 84 (Fig. 19) and 85 (Fig. 21) andthe former'terminates 'ina pinlon 86 meshing with a. stop gear 87 in thecasing 74. The revolutions ofthe stop gear are controlled by areciprocatory escapement member 88 in a well known manner, the detailsof which are not esential to an understanding of the present invention.It .is sufiicient to say that the member 88 is normally held in itslowermost position by a spring 89 and when raised, it causes the curtain64 to be runoff onto the tension roll 68 sufliciently to carry theexposure aperture 65 past the ex-/ posure opening 2 and also causes thecur tain to be then. haltedthrough a locking of the pinion 86 with thefeed roll which locking is maintained as the member 88 is lowered againby its spring. This actuation of the member 88 is brought about b theoperating lever 7 previously describe and which has an arm 90 passingrearwardly through the casing 74 to engage a roller 91 on the member 88.

Calling attention now more particularly to Figs. 20 and 21, I willdescribe the man ner in hich the roller blind shutter is set 59 forlocking the s ing 95 secured to the left side of the shutter housing 6of the camera body. The gear 93 has fixed thereto a lug 95* (Fig. 22)afranged in the path of a pin 96 on an adjacent gear 97 turning on thesame stud 94 independently of the first mentioned gear.

When the magazine 13 is applied to the camera back, a pinion 98 on theleft hand end of the crank shaft 43' (Figs. 15 and 17) goes into meshwith. the gear '97 as shown in Fig. 20. This pinion 98 has a partialhousing 99 that fits against the housing 95, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6.Therefore, the parts being in the normal position of Fig. 1, in whichthe exposure chamber 18 of the magazine is open, with the plate shiftingslide 23 raised and the shutter run down, when the crank 14 is turned tothe right to the position of Fig. 9, the slide 23 brings down a freshplate in position for exposure and the shaft 43 at the same time windsthe shutter through the pinion 98 thereon, turning the gear 97. The pin96 on this gear locks against the lug'95 on the gear 93 which, in .turn,rotates the pinion 92 of the feed roll 67 of the shutter. When the crank14 is returned to initial position, which must be done before exposure,the plate shifting slide 23 is moved out of the way to its upperposition, but the shutter mechanism is not affected, for the reason thatthe gear 97 is then turned in the opposite direction and the pin 96thereon travels away from the lug 95 of the gear 93, leaving that gearand the roll pinion 92 with which it meshes, undisturbed. The shutterbeing tripped by means of the operating member I 7 to make the exposure,the gear 93 is driven in a reverse direction by the pinion 92,

carrying the lug 95 back into position to take the winding contact ofthe pin 96 of the driven gear.97.

' It will be recognized that, the magazine 13 having been removed fromthe camera body,

should either the plate shifting gearing of Fig. 17 or the shuttergearing of Fig. 20 be operated independently, their relative positionswould be changed and when brought together again, they would notnecessarily function in proper sequence and relationship. I- havealready described the means ide mechanism of the magazine automaticallywith the latters detachment from the camera. To automatically lock theshutter mechanism, the locking bolt 37 for the magazine is provided witha hooked extension 100 having a downwardly and inwardly turned reducedend 101 (Fig. 8). The gear casing 95 is .pro-

vided with an opening 102 to receive this portion 101 and the. gears 93and 97 with apertures 103 and 104, respectively, for this same purpose.When the crank 14 is in the position of Fig.9 and the exposure chamber18 is closed by the slide 23, these apertures 102, 103 and 104 are inr'eglster. Then and not until then may the bolt 37 be operated torelease its ears 40 from the interlocking cars 41 of the magazine, fonif the positions of the shifting mechanism and hence, of the meshingshutter mechanism, are not correct, the extension 101 of the, bolt 37will be blocked by the face of the gear 93 of the shutter mechanism.Control of the various groups of mechanism is thus linked up to thevarious ends that a plate in position for exposure cannot be fogged byremoving the magazine without closing the slide23;

once closed and the magazine removed, the position of the slide cannotbe inadvertently changed; the shutter cannot be operated inadvertentlyduring the absence of the magazine to falsely receive its gearing whenit is again applied and the magazine cannot be removed in the firstplace until these other matters have been attended to.

A further safety appliance that I prefer to employ consists of a dummyplate or dark slide that I have marked l9 in Figs. 3' and 4 whichaccompanies the plates 19 through the storage chamber 17 and into theexposure chamber 18 at the rear of the pile. This dark slide is hencethe last one to take its position in the focal plane and becomes theforemost element of the pile in the exposure chamber '18. Therefore,after the full supply of plates have been fed, should the operator notconsult his register 53 and continue to work his shifting mechanism andoperate his shutter, he will do no harm to the plates that have already,been used and particularly the last one, for the dark'slide will remainin position and protect it and the image cast by the lens will fall idlyupon it. Also, when the magazine is finally removed, the dark slideforms a further seal additional to the plate shifting slide 23.

I claimas my invention:

1'. In a camera, the combination with a camera body, a shutter mechanismand a detachable holder for sensitive material cooperating with thebody, of means fo'rautomatically locking the shutter mechanism when theholder is detached from the body.

2.. In a camera, thecombination with a camera body, a shutter mechanism,and a detachable holder for sensitive material cooperating with thebody, of an operating member and means under the control thereof foralternatively locking the holder to the body or the shutter againstactuation.

tachable holder for sensitive material sooperating with the body, of abolt adapted to normally lock the holder to the body and to lock theshutter against actuation when said bolt is released.

4. In a camera, the combination with a body, a detachable holder forsensitive material cooperating therewith, and a shutter mechanismcarried by the body, of a shutter controlling means carried by theholder and a device for locking the shutter mechanismagainst movementwhen the holder is removed from the body.

5. In a camera, the .combination with a body, a detachable holder forsensitive material cooperating therewith, and a shutter mechanismcarried by the body, of a shutter controlling means carried by theholder and a locking device for securing the holder to the body andadaptedwhen released to lock the shutter mechanism against movement.

6. In a camera, the combination with a body, a detachable holder forsensitive material cooperating therewith and a shutter mechanism carriedby the body and comprising a roller blind provided with winding gearing,of a winding member on the holder having gearing cooperating with thatof the shutter mechanism when the holder is in cooperation with thebody, and a locking de- V106 for securing the holder to the body andadapted when released to lock the shutter mechanism against movement.

7. In a camera, the combination with abody, a detachable holder forsensitive material cooperating therewith, a shutter mechanism carried bythe body and comprising a roller blind provided with winding gearing anda gear casing on the exterior of the body inclosing said gearing andprovided with an opening, of a winding member on the holder havinggearing cooperating with that of the shutter mechanism when the holderis in cooperation with the body, and a locking device for securingtheholder to the body and having a portion adapted when the device isreleased, to enter the opening in the gear casing and lock the shuttermechanism against movement.

8. In a camera, the combination with a body, a shutter mechanism and adetachable holder for sensitive material cooperating with the body, of amanually operable lockingdevice for locking the holder to the body, saiddevice being blocked by the shutter mechanism against release when theshutter is open.

9. In a camera, the combination with a body, a shutter mechanism, adetachable holder for sensitive material cooperating with the body andhaving an exposure opening and a closure for the latter, of a lockingdevice for securing the holder to the body operating when released tolock the shutter mechanism and adapted to be released only when theclosure is in operative position.

10. In a camera, the combination with a body shutter mechanism, adetachable holder for sensitive material cooperating with the body andhaving an exposure opening, a closure for the latter and a common meanscontrolling both the shutter and closure, of a locking device forsecuring the holder to the body and acting through the medium of theshutter echanism to resist release while the closure is in inoperativeposition.

11. In a camera, the combination with a body, a shutter mechanismcarried thereby and a detachable holder for sensitive materialcooperating with the body, of mechanism on the holder for feeding thesensitive material and detachably cooperating withthe shutter mechanismto actuate the latter also and means for locking the shutter mechanismin the position in which itwas left by the feeding mechanism when theholder is detached. 12. In a camera, the combination with a body, ashutter mechanism carried thereby, a detachable holder for sensitivematerial cooperating with the body and having an exposure opening, aclosure for the latter, and operating mechanism for the closure carriedby the holder and detachably cooperating with the shutter mechanism, ofa locking device for securing the holder to the body and adapted whenreleased to automatically lock the shutter mechanism in position, theshutter mechanism being adapted to prevent the release of said lockingdevice when the closure is in inoperative position.

13. In a camera, the combination with a.

camera body, of a detachable holder for sensitive material cooperatingtherewith, and having an exposure opening, means for feeding sensitivematerial into said opening and a latch for such feeding means adapted tobe automatically released when the holder is applied to the body1 14. Ina camera, t e combination with a camera body, of a detachable holder forsensitive material cooperating therewith and having an exposure opening,a closure for the opening, means on the holder for operating the closurecomprising a shaft and gearing and a latch cooperating with the latterto lock the closure in operative position and adapted to beautomatically released when the holder is applied to the body.

WILLIAM F. FOLMER.

